I grew up with Maurice Sendak's books from those he illustrated for other like "An Hole is to Dig" by Ruth Kauss to everything he wrote. He greatly influence my own art and even years later I will cerise my table top book of his Art work.

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In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare

This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.

Is it wrong that I honestly had no idea who this was until I googled his name? Apparently, I managed to completely miss his work somehow. I remember when the film came out one of my friends was super excited about it and I was like "what story is that?". I'd never read or even heard of "Where the Wild Things Are" when I was a kid. Strange.

I'd never read or even heard of "Where the Wild Things Are" when I was a Strange kid.

Fixed. I'd always thought that book was a staple for every child growing up. You might be the first person I've heard of that's never read it.

That's pretty much the reaction I get when I mention this. It's not like I grew up in a bubble or anything either. I read all the other books kids read at that time. Wrinkle in Time, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wizard of Earthsea, Narnia, and dozens of others. But a couple years ago, when that film came out I remember thinking that the title sounded vaguely familiar, like I'd heard it before, but that was it. A friend saw the preview and was like "OMG! That was my favorite story growing up!!!", and was shocked when I got this puzzled look on my face and told him I'd never heard of it before and had no clue what it was about. I hung out with a lot of friends in grade school who all read lots of books, and we talked about them and shared them all the time, but I don't recall a single one of them ever mentioning it or telling me "you've got to read this", like they did with tons of other books they'd read.

My wife will be upset by this but for me, the best I can say about the book was when the movie came out I vaguely remembered those big furry things from my childhood. Can't say the book had much impact on me.

I'd never read or even heard of "Where the Wild Things Are" when I was a Strange kid.

Fixed. I'd always thought that book was a staple for every child growing up. You might be the first person I've heard of that's never read it.

That's pretty much the reaction I get when I mention this. It's not like I grew up in a bubble or anything either. I read all the other books kids read at that time. Wrinkle in Time, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wizard of Earthsea, Narnia, and dozens of others. But a couple years ago, when that film came out I remember thinking that the title sounded vaguely familiar, like I'd heard it before, but that was it. A friend saw the preview and was like "OMG! That was my favorite story growing up!!!", and was shocked when I got this puzzled look on my face and told him I'd never heard of it before and had no clue what it was about. I hung out with a lot of friends in grade school who all read lots of books, and we talked about them and shared them all the time, but I don't recall a single one of them ever mentioning it or telling me "you've got to read this", like they did with tons of other books they'd read.

Did I really miss anything?

Well it's a picture book for 3-6 year olds...not something your friends in grade school would have recommended. It can't have more than like 500 words in the whole book.

Nexa

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“It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But a half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones

I'd never heard of it either, and I was an avid library-goer as a kid. I watched the movie when it came to and thought "the **** kind of children's story is this?" It was seriously the worst kids movie I've ever seen. What is the moral? It's OK to be a wrecking ball of a monster child so long as you don't bite your mom?

I can't speak for the movie since I never saw it but the idea of making a short children's book into a full length film seemed as implausible for me there as it did for the film adaptations of Dr. Seuss books. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't translate well. At the very least, you need a lot of filler.

Well it's a picture book for 3-6 year olds...not something your friends in grade school would have recommended. It can't have more than like 500 words in the whole book.

Oh! That explains it then. I was reading at a 3rd grade level in Kindergarten. In first grade they would regularly pull me out of the reading class and have me read to the kids in the 3rd grade (yes, standing at the front of the class and reading to them). Pretty much skipped right from **** and Jane to the Hardy Boys in one step. So it's not surprising that I had never read a picture book aimed at 1st/2nd grade level.

Well it's a picture book for 3-6 year olds...not something your friends in grade school would have recommended. It can't have more than like 500 words in the whole book.

Oh! That explains it then. I was reading at a 3rd grade level in Kindergarten. In first grade they would regularly pull me out of the reading class and have me read to the kids in the 3rd grade (yes, standing at the front of the class and reading to them). Pretty much skipped right from **** and Jane to the Hardy Boys in one step. So it's not surprising that I had never read a picture book aimed at 1st/2nd grade level.

Well it's a picture book for 3-6 year olds...not something your friends in grade school would have recommended. It can't have more than like 500 words in the whole book.

Oh! That explains it then.

Oh I doubt it but every few years I just can't help myself.

Nexa

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“It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But a half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones

Joph knows this, but when my folks moved back to Peru from Saudi when I was sixish, the only English books in my Catholic School were the Bible and Webster's dictionary, which I went in and read during recess until I learned enough Spanish to feel comfortable making friends. Revelations at 6-7 will give you nightmares.

Edited, May 9th 2012 6:47pm by Atomicflea

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That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for And yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin', ho

Oh! That explains it then. I was reading at a 3rd grade level in Kindergarten. In first grade they would regularly pull me out of the reading class and have me read to the kids in the 3rd grade (yes, standing at the front of the class and reading to them). Pretty much skipped right from **** and Jane to the Hardy Boys in one step. So it's not surprising that I had never read a picture book aimed at 1st/2nd grade level.

No, it doesn't explain it. Your complete lack of intellectual curiosity probably explains it. I excelled at punctuation in first grade. Yet, somehow, that didn't prevent me from reading ee cummings. As for your astonishing 2 grade gap in reading level, the reality is that it's *very slightly* above average. I'd imagine there are dozens of posters on this board (myself and my wife included) who read at a 12th grade reading level the first time we were tested in 2nd grade or whatever it was. It's a self reinforcing factor of your lack of intellectual accomplishment that you likely aren't capable of understanding what tiny, tiny minnow you are in this particular pond.

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Disclaimer:

To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? ***. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.

Smash attempts to argue that intellectual curiosity is tied to reading a picture book[

You misspelled "succeeds". The idea that the form of the book would exclude it from intellectual inquiry sort of seals the parchment of my case, doesn't it?

Thanks!

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Disclaimer:

To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? ***. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.

I myself missed most of Sendak's work until I was in college and took a course in Children's Literature. In my house the children's books were from the 50's like Blueberries for SalI was devouring the Hardy boys in 6th and 7th grade. The nuns were worried about my choice of books, but my parents said as long as he is reading we don't care. I didn't run into Lloyd Alexander until I was substitute teaching in middle school.

Edited, May 11th 2012 7:19pm by Jonwin

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For Truth, Justice, and the Norrathian Way! Tinkering is a trade skill which will not prevent the mobs from hitting you.